Patents by Inventor Miles J. JOHNSON

Miles J. JOHNSON has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12344241
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to navigating a trailer after the physical connection between a vehicle and trailer disconnects. In one embodiment, a method includes responsive to determining that a physical connection between a vehicle and a trailer has disconnected, determining trajectory information for navigating the trailer without a connection to the vehicle. The method includes communicating the trajectory information to the trailer to cause the trailer to follow a trajectory associated with the vehicle. The method includes monitoring whether the trailer is following the trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2025
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Corey Zwegers, Danil V. Prokhorov, Sergei S. Avedisov, Paul Timothy Fanson, Gregg J. Overfield, Miles J. Johnson, Shigenori Shibata, Adam R. VanAntwerp
  • Patent number: 12172652
    Abstract: An apparatus includes processing circuitry configured to determine an actual driving performance of a driver in a manual driving mode and a projected driving performance if the vehicle had been operated in an autonomous driving mode, compare the driving performance in the manual driving mode and the autonomous driving mode, and transmit a feedback to the driver based on the comparison. The processing circuitry can be further configured to determine a driver state of the driver in the manual driving mode, determine environmental driving condition of the vehicle, and establish a baseline behavior of the driver as a function of the driver state and the environmental driving condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Yu Hiei, Rini Sherony, Tina Brunetti Sayer, Joshua E. Domeyer, John Marcoux, Miles J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 12099353
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to controlling a trailer without the presence of a physical connection. In one embodiment, a method includes in response to receiving a signal to initiate hitchless maneuvering of a trailer separately from a controlling vehicle, acquiring control inputs to maneuver the trailer from an input device within the controlling vehicle. The method includes communicating, from the controlling vehicle to the trailer, the control inputs to maneuver the trailer. The method includes in response to receiving feedback from the trailer indicating the trailer is within a requested position, sending a control signal to stop the trailer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregg J. Overfield, Paul Timothy Fanson, Derek S. Caveney, Mehmet Ali Guney, Stephen L Robertson, Miles J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 11983425
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for data storage for a subject vehicle and include receiving data items at the subject vehicle data from a plurality of data sources and determining whether a data item received from one of the plurality of data sources is redundant with a data item already captured by the subject vehicle. If so, the system eliminates the redundant data item to obtain a nonredundant data set of nonredundant data items and determines whether to store a nonredundant data item of the nonredundant data set based on flow characteristics of the nonredundant data item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Miles J. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20240017720
    Abstract: A system includes a processor and a memory in communication with the processor that includes a path planning module. The path planning module causes the processor to determine a nominal driving path for a leading vehicle and a following vehicle that follows the leading vehicle and identify an obstacle in an external environment that prevents one of the leading vehicle and the following vehicle from utilizing the nominal driving path. In response to identifying the obstacle, the path planning module causes the processor to determine an alternate driving path for one of the leading vehicle and the following vehicle that avoids the obstacle and operate the leading vehicle and the following vehicle such that one of the leading vehicle and the following vehicle that is prevented from utilizing the nominal driving path due to the obstacle utilizes the alternate driving path and the other utilizes the nominal driving path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2022
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Miles J. Johnson, Paul Timothy Fanson
  • Patent number: 11872985
    Abstract: Based on a model and an identity of an operator of a vehicle, a setting for a cruise control to maintain a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle can be determined. The model can be based on historical distances maintained by the operator. The model can also be based on information about an environment in which the vehicle is operating or information about a state of the operator. The identity can be received from an interface configured to receive information associated with the identity, a cloud computing platform, or a biometric system configured to determine the identity. The cruise control can be caused to operate according to the setting. A rate of energy consumption by the vehicle when the vehicle is controlled by the cruise control can be less than the rate of energy consumption when the vehicle lacks being controlled by the cruise control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kyungtae Han, Ziran Wang, Prashant Tiwari, John K Lenneman, Toshinori Esaka, Miles J. Johnson, Chase C. Violetta
  • Publication number: 20230249680
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to navigating a trailer after the physical connection between a vehicle and trailer disconnects. In one embodiment, a method includes responsive to determining that a physical connection between a vehicle and a trailer has disconnected, determining trajectory information for navigating the trailer without a connection to the vehicle. The method includes communicating the trajectory information to the trailer to cause the trailer to follow a trajectory associated with the vehicle. The method includes monitoring whether the trailer is following the trajectory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Corey Zwegers, Danil V. Prokhorov, Sergei S. Avedisov, Paul Timothy Fanson, Gregg J. Overfield, Miles J. Johnson, Shigenori Shibata, Adam R. VanAntwerp
  • Publication number: 20230236593
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to controlling a trailer without the presence of a physical connection. In one embodiment, a method includes in response to receiving a signal to initiate hitchless maneuvering of a trailer separately from a controlling vehicle, acquiring control inputs to maneuver the trailer from an input device within the controlling vehicle. The method includes communicating, from the controlling vehicle to the trailer, the control inputs to maneuver the trailer. The method includes in response to receiving feedback from the trailer indicating the trailer is within a requested position, sending a control signal to stop the trailer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Gregg J. Overfield, Paul Timothy Fanson, Derek S. Caveney, Mehmet Ali Guney, Stephen L. Robertson, Miles J. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20230219580
    Abstract: An apparatus includes processing circuitry configured to determine an actual driving performance of a driver in a manual driving mode and a projected driving performance if the vehicle had been operated in an autonomous driving mode, compare the driving performance in the manual driving mode and the autonomous driving mode, and transmit a feedback to the driver based on the comparison. The processing circuitry can be further configured to determine a driver state of the driver in the manual driving mode, determine environmental driving condition of the vehicle, and establish a baseline behavior of the driver as a function of the driver state and the environmental driving condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Yu HIEI, Rini SHERONY, Tina Brunetti SAYER, Joshua E. DOMEYER, John MARCOUX, Miles J. JOHNSON
  • Patent number: 11623647
    Abstract: A feedback server includes a processing circuitry configured to determine an actual driving performance of a driver in a manual driving mode and a projected driving performance if the vehicle had been operated in an autonomous driving mode, compare the driving performance in the manual driving mode and the autonomous driving mode, and transmit a feedback to the driver based on the comparison. The processing circuitry can be further configured to determine a driver state of the driver in the manual driving mode, determine environmental driving condition of the vehicle, and establish a baseline behavior of the driver as a function of the driver state and the environmental driving condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Yu Hiei, Rini Sherony, Tina Brunetti Sayer, Joshua E. Domeyer, John Marcoux, Miles J. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20220314990
    Abstract: Based on a model and an identity of an operator of a vehicle, a setting for a cruise control to maintain a distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle can be determined. The model can be based on historical distances maintained by the operator. The model can also be based on information about an environment in which the vehicle is operating or information about a state of the operator. The identity can be received from an interface configured to receive information associated with the identity, a cloud computing platform, or a biometric system configured to determine the identity. The cruise control can be caused to operate according to the setting. A rate of energy consumption by the vehicle when the vehicle is controlled by the cruise control can be less than the rate of energy consumption when the vehicle lacks being controlled by the cruise control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Kyungtae Han, Ziran Wang, Prashant Tiwari, John K. Lenneman, Toshinori Esaka, Miles J. Johnson, Chase C. Violetta
  • Patent number: 11325596
    Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods relate to technology to control one or more systems to mitigate an oversteer condition of a vehicle or allow the oversteer condition, identify a curve in a roadway based on sensor data associated with the vehicle, based on the curve in the roadway, conduct an identification that the oversteer condition is to be allowed for at least a portion of the curve, and in response to the identification that the oversteer condition is to be allowed, controlling the one or more systems to allow the oversteer condition for the at least the portion of the curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Ethan W. Pomish, Miles J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 11216000
    Abstract: A method for predicting lane error based on an identifier of a lane segment is disclosed. The method includes receiving a predicted location in a lane segment of a plurality lane segments for a first vehicle traveling on the lane segment. The method includes receiving a determined location of the first vehicle in the lane segment for the first vehicle. The method includes determining a difference between the predicted location in the lane segment received for the first vehicle and the determined location of the first vehicle in the lane segment. The method includes providing the determined difference between the predicted location in the lane segment received for the first vehicle and the determined location of the first vehicle in the lane segment and an identifier of the lane segment as first training data to a lane error estimation model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Miles J. Johnson, Christopher J. Smalley, Matthew W. Dreisbach
  • Publication number: 20210387618
    Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods relate to technology to control one or more systems to mitigate an oversteer condition of a vehicle or allow the oversteer condition, identify a curve in a roadway based on sensor data associated with the vehicle, based on the curve in the roadway, conduct an identification that the oversteer condition is to be allowed for at least a portion of the curve, and in response to the identification that the oversteer condition is to be allowed, controlling the one or more systems to allow the oversteer condition for the at least the portion of the curve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ethan W. Pomish, Miles J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 11023753
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to detecting a lane change of a target vehicle ahead of an ego vehicle. In one approach, a method includes receiving communications from a target vehicle specifying state information about the target vehicle. The method includes determining a location of a first decision point at a first distance ahead of an ego vehicle and acquiring sensor data about the target vehicle. The method includes determining motion information about the target vehicle based on the sensor data. The motion information includes positions that the target vehicle occupied relative to the ego vehicle. The method includes storing the state information and motion information for a first amount of time, and determining whether the target vehicle has changed lanes based on the state information and the motion information that has been stored once the ego vehicle has reached the first decision position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimeros Vladimerou, Miles J. Johnson, Ahmed Sakr, Gaurav Bansal
  • Patent number: 10957188
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to determining traffic flow along a roadway segment. In one embodiment, a method includes collecting, in an electronic data store from reporting vehicles that travel over the roadway segment, traffic data about at least surrounding vehicles of the reporting vehicles. The method includes analyzing the traffic data to identify a traffic flow for the respective lanes of the roadway segment. The method includes providing a signal identifying the traffic flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Miles J. Johnson, Christopher J. Smalley
  • Publication number: 20210070301
    Abstract: Methods and systems may provide for technology to control a road vehicle in a partially-autonomous mode along a default path and change a speed of the road vehicle in response to a first actuation event. The technology may also automatically deviate the road vehicle from a current lane on the default path in response to a second actuation event if a distance condition is satisfied with response to one or more of a future lane change or a future turn on the default path, wherein the first actuation event and the second actuation event are associated with a single-extremity user operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimeros Vladimerou, Miles J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 10933880
    Abstract: In one embodiment, example systems and methods relate to a manner of providing lane curvature estimations. As vehicles travel, lane curvature estimates for lane segments as provided by the vehicle lane curvature estimation systems are collected. The estimated lane curvatures and the actual paths of the vehicles as they traveled in the lane segments are used as training data for a model that can both determine if a lane curvature estimate for a lane segment is likely incorrect and provide a correct lane curvature estimate. When a vehicle later travels such a lane segment, the model can be used to provide the vehicle with a correct lane curvature estimate. The correct estimate can be used by the vehicle in place of an estimate generated by the existing lane curvature estimation system of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimeros Vladimerou, Miles J. Johnson, Christopher J. Smalley, Matthew W. Dreisbach
  • Patent number: 10921138
    Abstract: The virtual reality navigation system can display the position of an autonomous vehicle at a predetermined amount of time in the future via virtual reality. A virtual reality display can display a virtual reality autonomous vehicle, as if the virtual reality autonomous vehicle is the autonomous vehicle operating at the predetermined amount of time in the future. Additionally, a virtual reality interface can provide an interface for an operator to interact with the environment of the autonomous vehicle. The virtual reality interface can receive an alternate route selection, and display in virtual reality the one or more maneuvers that would be required to reach the selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Kristofer D. Kusano, Yi Li, Hideki Hada, Miles J. Johnson
  • Patent number: 10782704
    Abstract: One or more roadway features can be determined based on information received from one or more vehicles traveling on a roadway. A data packet can be received from a remote vehicle. The data packet can include data corresponding to locations and headings of the remote vehicle. A path history for the remote vehicle can be determined based on the data packet. The path history can include data points corresponding to a plurality of locations and headings for the remote vehicle. A geometry for a portion of the roadway preceding the remote vehicle can be determined using the path history. The determined geometry of the roadway can be used to determine a driving maneuver for a vehicle and/or to verify a map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimeros Vladimerou, Miles J. Johnson, Guarav Bansal, Ahmed Sakr